19810607 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.8.18

The following is a class given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on June 7th, 1981 at the temple in New Orleans Louisiana. The class begins with a reading from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto 7, Chapter 8, Text 18.

oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya
jñānāñjana-śalākayā
cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ

śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ
sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale
svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ
dadāti sva-padāntikam

vande 'haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś ca
śrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvam
sādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaṁ
śrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine
namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda
jaya-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

nārāyaṇaṁ namaskṛtya
naraṁ caiva narottamam
devīṁ sarasvatīṁ vyāsaṁ
tato jayam udīrayet

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ
paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande
śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam

Canto 7, Chapter 8, Text 17.

satyaṁ vidhātuṁ nija-bhṛtya-bhāṣitaṁ
vyāptiṁ ca bhūteṣv akhileṣu cātmanaḥ
adṛśyatātyadbhuta-rūpam udvahan
stambhe sabhāyāṁ na mṛgaṁ na mānuṣam

Synonyms

satyam — true; vidhātum — to prove; nija-bhṛtya-bhāṣitam — the words of His own servant (Prahlāda Mahārāja, who had said that his Lord is present everywhere); vyāptim — the pervasion; ca — and; bhūteṣu — among the living entities and elements; akhileṣu — all; ca — also; ātmanaḥ — of Himself; adṛśyata — was seen; ati — very; adbhuta — wonderful; rūpam — form; udvahan — taking; stambhe — in the pillar; sabhāyām — within the assembly; na — not; mṛgam — an animal; na — nor; mānuṣam — a human being.

Translation (by His Divine Grace, Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swāmi Prabhupāda): To prove that the statement of His servant Prahlāda Mahārāja was substantial—in other words, to prove that the Supreme Lord is present everywhere, even within the pillar of an assembly hall—the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, exhibited a wonderful form never before seen. The form was neither that of a man nor that of a lion. Thus the Lord appeared in His wonderful form in the assembly hall.

Purport (by Śrīla Prabhupāda): When Hiraṇyakaśipu asked Prahlāda Mahārāja, "Where is your Lord? Is He present in this pillar?" Prahlāda Mahārāja fearlessly replied, "Yes, my Lord is present everywhere." Therefore, to convince Hiraṇyakaśipu that the statement of Prahlāda Mahārāja was unmistakably true, the Lord appeared from the pillar. The Lord appeared as half lion and half man so that Hiraṇyakaśipu could understand whether the great… could not understand whether the great giant was a lion or a human being. To substantiate Prahlāda's statement, the Lord proved that His devotee, as declared in Bhagavad-gītā, is never vanquished (kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati). Prahlāda Mahārāja's demoniac father had repeatedly threatened to kill Prahlāda, but Prahlāda was confident that he could not be killed, since he was protected by the Supreme Lord. By appearing from the pillar, the Lord encouraged His devotee, saying in effect, "Don't worry. I am present here." By manifesting His form as Nṛsiṁhadeva, the Lord also preserved the truth of Lord Brahmā's promise that Hiraṇyakaśipu was not to be killed by any animal or any man. The Lord appeared in a form that could not be said… could not be said to be fully a man or a lion.

Thus end the Purport by Śrīla Prabhupāda of Text 18, Chapter 8, Canto 7 of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

[Break]

Guru Mahārāja's Elaboration:

Hiranyakaśipu was always inimical to the Lord and always inimical to his son Prahlāda. He wanted that Prahlāda should be the good son of the king of the demons. Prahlāda should simply be a materialist, an exploiter and should denounce worship of Kṛṣṇa, acceptance of the presence of the Supreme Lord and he tried his best to deprogram his son, by sending him to the student… to the classroom of the sons of Śukṛācārya. But instead of being taught or changed by the sons of Sukrācārya, as soon as the teachers left, Prahlāda used the opportunity to preach. He told all the students to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Kaumāra ācaret prājño (ŚB. 7.6.1) That from the very childhood one should practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness. How half of our life is wasted by sleeping. The first ten years is wasted in simply, ignorance, practically speaking. The next ten to twenty years is wasted in playing around and studying, excuse me, ten years up to ten to twenty. And then from twenty to forty, fifty one is fully engrossed into the family affairs, even sixty. And the last twenty years of one’s life also the body becomes unpleasant, weak so then it is very difficult to fix the mind.

So in this way Prahlāda Mahārāja was explaining to his friends who had objected, “We are only children why should we get into all these spiritual activities?” let us play around and worry about that later. That later will not do; now you must begin. Because if you go on saying later, there is never an appropriate time in this life. Actually Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, he used to lecture that there is no shortage in this material world.

There is no shortage everything is here for material enjoyment. So one doesn’t also have to try hard for that material enjoyment. They will automatically come due to the previous activity’s reaction, the karma phala. But if one wants to become Kṛṣṇa conscious which is the one thing which is missing in this world, one has to specifically try for it. One has to try to be Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Automatically by the modes of nature by the senses one is taken. We have seen that picture in the Bhagavad-gītā: the five horses pulling with the mind holding the steers… or is it the intelligence? And the soul is being dragged along. Just like that, we don’t have to try for material happiness that is coming of its own accord. But to be Kṛṣṇa conscious, then we have to make a conscious effort. In other words we have a material mind, and so it’s already addicted to material desire, material thought, material lamentation. Doesn’t need to be programmed for that, but our natural Kṛṣṇa conscious desire that has been covered by this conditioned mind.

So initially we have to desire to return to our original consciousness. And by desiring to return to our original consciousness, by desiring to be Kṛṣṇa conscious and then acting in accordance with those desires, then automatically we become Kṛṣṇa conscious. But it’s not automatic. As soon as we turn our face away from Kṛṣṇa, then we start making our advances, so Prahlāda Mahārāja he never turned his face away from Kṛṣṇa.

His father put him to the greatest test, held him over the canyon thousands of feet sheer drop, sharp rocks below. “Prahlāda, stop chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa or I will throw you in this pit, give up this nonsense path what do you have to say for yourself? Now before I cast you down.”

“Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare
Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare”

That was Prahlāda’s reply.

“Damn you!” Threw him down.

“Disgrace to the demon race.” And of course, falling down Prahlāda is chanting, “Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare”. Kṛṣṇa catches Prahlāda and sets him down. ‘Daiva prakṛti’. Under the protection of the divine potency Subhadrā Devī. The devotee is under her protection. Of course sometimes the demons, they are very clever. Like Hiraṇyakaśipu he tried all the direct methods like throwing in boiling oil, having the demons try to cut him up, throwing him in the pit of snakes, putting him under the hooves of elephants. So then he tried his diplomatic way.

He prepared some nice sweet with poison. And he came and said Prahlāda, “You have been working very hard doing the saṅkīrtana (devotees laughing). I would like to just give you some token of my appreciation (devotees laughing). Just take this sweet balls simply wonderful.” And he gave this sweet saying, “After all you are my son.” So of course Prahlāda put his faith in Hiraṇyakaśipu. In any case he prayed to Kṛṣṇa that, “I cannot eat anything that’s not offered to you. So this is not your prasādam how can I take, unless you take I cannot take the bhoga, unoffered food.” And he was chanting then Kṛṣṇa appeared and Kṛṣṇa personally took a bite out of that sweet ball. And then He personally put the sweet ball in Prahlāda’s mouth. Prahlāda, he…

Of course once it touched Kṛṣṇa’s lips it became nectar. No longer was it poison. So, of course again Hiranyakasipu’s plan was thwarted. So finally Hiraṇyakaśipu decided that he is going to take in his own hands the sword and he is going to personally kill his five year old son. Why he wants to kill Prahlāda? What was his crime? What was his fault? That simply he was a devotee, that was his fault and why? Not an ordinary devotee he was preaching. It was enough at least if he was a devotee without preaching. It would not have aggravated Hiraṇyakaśipu so much. There are so many devotees. Just like Śrīla Prabhupāda said when there is, what do you say that, opposition to the preaching, this is the sign that Caitanya Mahāprabhu is being represented.

Of course there may be sometime some misbehavior that’s another thing but actual preaching, the demons they will be upset. Just like when Caitanya Mahāprabhu was preaching. And His saṅkīrtana movement went out then of course even the Hindu caste brāhmaṇas, they went and approached Chand Kazi. That “You must stop this Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is not representing the Hindu religion properly. He is misrepresenting, He is accepting everyone. No matter what their caste, no matter what their creed, even Mohammedans He’s accepting into his movement so He must be stopped. This is against the Vedas.” This was their proposal.

Of course they were misrepresenting the Vedas for their own caste consciousness and caste privileges. So the Chand Kazi, he recorded their complaint. And then, of course the Mohammedans they also came and they complained that “Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa in all the streets, in all the market places, in all the bathing ghāṭas. He must be stopped.”

So the Chand Kazi said, “I can understand that you are complaining about Caitanya Mahāprabhu chanting. Since you are all Mohammedans. But my question is why you are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa? Why you are chanting?” They said “This is an amazing thing that when we hear these devotees chant, we cannot ourselves stop chanting.” Just like one of our distributors who was distributing in New York told us how in this one particular street there was one very heavy guard outside one store, and he used to break up the sales, used to threaten. But gradually… of course, every sale. The devotee would stay a little out from the store. But if he got close, then immediately the person would start to growl.

And every day he saw him he said “Hare Kṛṣṇa.” Every day he said “Hare Kṛṣṇa.” And that person, he would always tell the people don’t buy anything, these are the “Hare Kṛṣṇas, Hare Kṛṣṇas.” And after about a couple of months of this, so one day the distributor he took out, he had this Bliss Bar or something like that, Yogi Bar or something. And he gave one to a person and that person ate it, he saw that the guard was looking. So then he also gave him one. He took it. “It’s alright, it’s good you know.” And went on distributing. The person went and ate it, eyes lit up, he came out and he said “Good! Just thought I’d take a few more.”

And so after that some chanting and a little prasādam then gave him the book also. Then he started to help distributing. He became a great friend. Everyday gave him a bliss bar, kept him in bliss. And in this way even the person in the beginning, very heavy character, very inimical, he completely changed by association with devotees. Just by the uh, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa… And this Hiraṇyakaśipu knew, told Prahlāda that, “You don’t associate with any devotees. Because association is so powerful you may become good. You may become a devotee yourself. So you don’t associate. This association is just like a mirror on the consciousness.” This was his advice. Of course Prahlāda was already before birth because he was instructed when he was in the womb of his mother. When his mother was in the Ashram of Nārada Muni. He received the instructions from Nārada Muni, he was already a devotee. So his father couldn’t understand where he got all this information. Although Prahlāda didn’t keep it a secret. So this association is so powerful.

So these Mohammedans when they gave their complains to Chand Kazi. And he asked them why were you chanting. You are Mohammedans you are not supposed to chant. Why you are chanting. They said, “We do now every day. We are associating with these devotees. We hear them chanting. And it is always going in our brain and we are just thinking Hare Kṛṣṇa. Seeing Hare Kṛṣṇa and also even in our sleep we dream Hare Kṛṣṇa. We don’t know what is this magic. We think maybe we are under some spell.” So, of course the Chand Kazi, he broke the mṛdaṅgas of Caitanya Mahāprabhu first and his soldiers. And all the devotees went back to Caitanya Mahāprabhu that, “Should we stop the saṅkīrtana? Should we stop it now? They have broken our mṛdaṅgas.”

“NOOOOO! Don’t stop the saṅkīrtana. Go on with the saṅkīrtana movement. Nothing can stop this saṅkīrtana movement.” So then of course they went back out and began the saṅkīrtana again. Then the Chand Kazi hearing the sound of the mṛdaṅgas he personally came and broke the mṛdaṅgas. [Break]

Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu when he heard that the mṛdaṅgas have been broken He took out and at that time there were fourteen different saṅkīrtana groups. They gathered the people from all the parts of Navadvīpa. And they all assembled, huge… hundreds and hundreds and thousands of people.

This was Lord Caitanya, simply by His word, hundreds of thousands of people would jump. And they all appeared enraged outside the Chand Kazi’s house. With torches in their hand. Some of them were little violent. “Kill the Kazi. Burn him. He can’t stop the saṅkīrtana movement.”

Some were shouting out. Some were breaking up the garden. The Chand Kazi was hiding under his bed (devotees laughing). He saw the huge crowds of people. He knew there was no escape. He came down and of course then he approached Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu that, “Why? Since your grandfather called me uncle, you are coming to your uncle’s house. Why you are acting in this very violent way? Is this a way to treat your uncle?”

Lord Caitanya said, “Well, since I am your nephew, is this a way you receive your nephew? Keep him standing out on the road?”

“No, no, come in, come in.”

Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, of course they discussed. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “Why are you killing your mother?”

“What do you mean killing my mother?”

“You are killing the cow.”

“How the cow is my mother?”

“You are drinking her milk. Who is giving you the milk from her breast isn’t she your mother? How you can kill her and your father too? The bull who is the father of the mother… who is bringing home the grains.” So then in discussion it actually came out that in the Quran, in the Mohammedan scriptures forbids one from taking meat, especially cow meat if one wants to be spiritually advanced. For those who are materialistic then there is another way. But you want to actually go back to Godhead it is forbidden in the Quran. So of course that just shows where everybody wants to go now a days as following the Quran. Their not taking the higher path that was recommended.

So that time the Chand Kazi, he revealed to Caitanya Mahāprabhu that “I saw a terrible vision in my sleep. After I broke these mṛdaṅga, after I ordered to have the saṅkīrtana movement to stopped. A terrific form, half-man half-lion appeared and he said “If you ever dare stop the movement of Caitanya Mahāprabhu again then I will finish you off. And He ripped my chest with His claws.” And he opened up the shirt and saw there, there was still the bloody mark on his chest. “When I woke up… There, look it. this mark was still there.” And he was shaking in fear. Nṛsiṁhadeva had appeared to the Chand Kazi. Lord Caitanya just touched him and then he was filled with transcendental ecstasy of love of Kṛṣṇa entered into his heart. By the presence of the association of Caitanya Mahāprabhu the Kazi was changed and he ordered that, “From now on the saṅkīrtana movement shall enjoy my full protection in Navadwip. It shall never be hampered.”

So there maybe some test. There is some opposition. But by Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mercy the association of the devotees is so strong that it overcomes the Chand Kazi, he was called the uncle of Caitanya Mahāprabhu because just as in Kṛṣṇa-līlā, Lord Caitanya is Kṛṣṇa. He killed his uncle Kaṁsa. So the Kaṁsa of Caitanya-līlā is the Chand Kazi. But Lord Caitanya showing his mercy instead of killing him outright, killed his demoniac nature, killed his demoniac nature, killed his demoniac nature by making him into a devotee. Even today the descendants of the Chand Kazi, they are still favourable to the saṅkīrtana movement.

So Nṛsiṁhadeva, He protects His devotees. Prahlāda was protected by Lord Nṛsiṁha Dev. The devotees pray to Nṛsiṁhadeva for the health of the spiritual master. Nṛsiṁhadeva, His mood is to protect the devotee. He was so angry while he was so angry he was shaking in anger. Because why was this devotee being pursued - simply because he was a devotee. Not because he had broken any laws or not he had done any, because so many people are doing so many things. But because he is a devotee. Therefore he was singled out to be tormented, to be tortured, to be harassed.

But Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mercy is such that even those who are the tormentors… the devotee has no enemies. Of course to protect another devotee the devotee is willing to do everything in his power. But actually the devotee, he has no enemy. And the proof is that even the so-called enemy, if the slightest chance is there to make him a devotee or to make him advance in devotional service or to give him some mercy that he will accept and not offend, the devotee always jumped at the chance. That means… enemy means someone who you want to see harmed. So the devotee doesn’t have any enemy. He wants to see everyone transferred to the spiritual sky.

But of course when such compassionate devotees are harassed then Nṛsiṁhadeva, He becomes angry. That “Here devotees simply giving out mercy, simply trying to distribute mercy, he is being persecuted, by this rascal king.” Devotee thinks that, “I deserve to be punished in so many ways for all my sinful activities. This is simply Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s, Kṛṣṇa’s mercy upon me.”

Sometimes some difficulty is there to further temper the devotee and to open up new fields of preaching. But the devotee has to remember that he is the representative of Kṛṣṇa. Just as Kṛṣṇa took a personal offense that his devotee was being punished. Similarly when the four Kumaras entered into the heavenly planets, in to the Vaikuṇṭha-lokas, the two gate keepers stopped them. Lord Nārāyaṇa personally appeared before the four Kumāras and he said that, “I take personal responsibility for them because they are my servitors. Because they are my servitors I ask your forgiveness for their activities.”

In other words this is two-sided. Just as much as a devotee is protected by the Lord because he is representing the Lord, similarly the devotee has the responsibility to act as the Lord, as the spiritual master would want him to act, that which will leave a good impression upon those people to whom they are preaching. Because, if a person becomes offensive to a devotee, then that is detrimental to his spiritual life. We can see that by being offensive to Prahlāda, the duration of Hiraṇyakaśipu’s life, his kingdom, his opulence, everything was lost - simply by being offensive to the devotee. So a devotee doesn’t want anyone’s misfortune, doesn’t try to act in a way which will encourage someone to become offensive. Of course simply by chanting and saṅkīrtana or harināma or by preaching if some demon is offended, for that we cannot stop preaching.

But unnecessarily devotee will not act in such a way as to create a person to be inimical. Because that would simply take that person further away from Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And Kṛṣṇa, He feels responsible. Because the devotee is His representative. They never say that “Bhakta Bill did something wrong.” they always say “The Kṛṣṇas.” They’r... “Kṛṣṇas” mean Kṛṣṇa’s devotees. So Kṛṣṇa, He’s the one that gets the ultimate result. So He’s responsible to protect and He’s also responsible for the devotees' actions so the devotee has to be very careful that, “I am representing the whole sampradāya and Kṛṣṇa, I must act responsibly in preaching.” Then one will get the mercy. Irresponsible action that embarrasses Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master ultimately of course then how can that preacher be successful?

So Prahlāda Mahārāja of course, he was always very gentle, well behaved. But he didn’t stop preaching. Every opportunity he got, he used it to preach and that was what they didn’t like.

So that the preaching gosṭhyānandī devotee - the preaching devotee can never stop. There are two types of devotees, the bhajanānandī, who wants his own liberation, wants to do his own bhajana. The gosṭhyānandī, who wants to see the devotees number increase. The gosṭhyānandī his pleasure, his satisfaction is to see the Lord’s purpose fulfilled. That is to have more and more devotees. The Lord wants that fallen souls should return. The gosṭhyānandī is fulfilling that desire just like we are saying,

śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ
sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale
svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ
dadāti sva-padāntikam

I offer my respectful obeisances to Rupa Goswami. Because why? mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ, what is the desire of Caitanya Mahāprabhu?

He knows that and he has established that. sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale. He has established that. This is the mood of the pure devotee. This is why in our sampradāya, the ācāryas are sometimes called Rupānugas. What is the desire of Caitanya Mahāprabhu? He wants to see his mercy distributed. And someone who has understood that this is the dear desire of the Lord and is trying to distribute that mercy to satisfy the Lord. To establish his hearts desire. He is a follower of Rūpa Gosvāmi, a Rupānuga.

So that is the most exalted to know what is the Lord’s desire, His special desire and to try to satisfy that, that is the epitome. The epix of spiritual perfection. Everyone is trying to satisfy themselves. But they mistake themselves to be this body. So instead they simply satisfy their senses, or try to satisfy their senses but fail miserably. But go to no end, to their very limit and trying to do so always create havoc, competing with all the other similar sense gratifiers in the grand competition.

But the devotee, he is seeing what is the self. The real self, the self of the self. Kṛṣṇa’s desire and trying to establish that by preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So that is the nectar of devotion’s ocean being expanded. So without those devotees, it’s very hard for these fallen souls to get delivered on their own - practically impossible. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s descent has caused the good fortune. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu, what did he say, "I am one person how many fruits can I give out? You all come take. Take this fruit of love of Kṛṣṇa, eat to your hearts content. Eat fully and then distribute it."

What does Śrīla Prabhupāda say? “Be happy in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and make others happy.” I remember when, of course now it’s a little better but I remember just a year before this, two years ago, when I went to Guadalajara in Mexico, how Ācāryadeva, who had been so rigorously preaching all over Latin America and all over the world, in India, how his health was so completely deteriorated. Of course, there, we had some nice relief - there was a water fall 120 feet, some hot… some kind of warm springs falling down. He would just bathe a little bit. We would bathe together in this natural pond in the hot spring water. But his health was so uh, deteriorated from preaching. But until his uh, body practically gave out, he didn’t stop or think to stop. Of course now he has become more careful.

This is the quality of the devotees they just go on preaching. As much as strength they have they want to simply go on preaching. Śrīla Prabhupāda - untiringly how many, eleven or seventeen times at the age of seventy, eight years old, going around the world again and again? When he would come to India we would always, “Of course, please stay here some… longer.” He would stay one or two months there, in Māyāpur in November or October he would come, then again during the festival. We were very fortunate to get that association.

But he would say “No, if I don’t travel then how this movement will go on? I must constantly travel.” He would say how he was cursed by the parents of the children of the devotees. That just like Nārada Muni had been cursed by Dakṣa. Nārada Muni took all of his sons and made them into devotees, into brahmacārīs. He was cursed that, “You will never have a fixed house. I curse you to never have a fixed house. You have to always simply wander around. Can’t stay any place more than a few days.” So of course, that was a very big curse for Dakṣa.

The materialist, their idea of curse… Just like we were reading this morning that when the Nārada Muni gave the story of Purañjana to King Barhiṣman. He said “I can’t really understand exactly what you are saying because we are engaged in fruitive activities, we are karmīs. Therefore it is very difficult to understand what is the meaning of the story.” In the purport Prabhupāda explained that unless one performs devotional service, the actual meaning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the mystery of devotional service, it can’t be understood fully, they get confused.

So like that, Dakṣa he is thinking, he is cursing Nārada Muni. Nārada Muni, “This is the greatest blessing I ever had. And I will now be eternally in travelling saṅkīrtana. I never have to settle down anywhere.” He took it as a blessing. This is the… Prabhupāda said like that, “I have the curse, therefore I can never stay anywhere, more than a week or two.” Actually he was always travelling. So in Vṛndāvana, myself and one or two other, some other devotees were there, and he told us. He was looking right at me, but I know that there were other people there also. "So now I cannot travel anymore. Now I am just staying here in Vṛndāvana. Now you must take this curse." I think he said “You sannyāsīs. You have to take this curse, travel." So since then I haven’t, except for the festival, I haven’t stayed anywhere for more than two weeks.

So in any case, for devotees there is no curse. Even this curse that Prahlāda Mahārāja, "I am going to finish you off." Hiraṇyakaśipu said, there was no question of curse. Only thing the devotee is worried about is that that I may not become attracted to the material nature and somehow or the other, rather may not forget the lotus feet of the Lord. That is the only thing the devotees are afraid of. Afraid of being attracted to this material nature. That fear is uh, purifying. Never afraid of the Lord.

Hiraṇyakaśipu was so afraid of Nṛsiṁhadeva. All the demigods were afraid of Nṛsiṁhadeva. But Prahlāda, he wasn’t afraid of Nṛsiṁhadeva. You know this is my Protector. This is my Lord. So the devotee, he is afraid of forgetting Kṛṣṇa. Afraid of Māyā. Not proud, humble against māyā, afraid of māyā. Not afraid of Kṛṣṇa, always clings to Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet. Just like a baby, not afraid of the mother. Baby is always holding on to the the mother for protection, but afraid of strangers. So this material world is a strange environment to us. It is not natural.

So therefore, we should cling on to the lotus feet of the Guru-Gaurāṅga, Nitāi-Gaura. And the easiest way to cling on, is to manifest the desire in this world, to try to establish their desire, that is to give everyone Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in a very humble, determined and enthusiastic way. Spreading all around the glories of the holy name

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

Jāya Śrī Śrī Nitāi-Gaura!

Jāya Śrīla Prabhupāda!

Jāya Śrīla Ācāryadeva!

Devotee: Jāya! Haribol.

Are there any questions?

Question (inaudible)

Jayapatākā Swami: Of course it is also said to be a sign of advancement when one sees one's own heart to be hard. Usually, someone enters into devotional service, makes a little progress, he immediately thinks that I'm very advanced. So then when one advances further and gets a greater perspective on exactly how exalted is devotional service, then one sees oneself as being very insignificant. Even Śrīmati Rādhārāṇī, she saw herself being not at all a devotee.

So if we start to see ourselves as not being a devotee, that can also, be a very advanced devotee, that can also be a type or sign of advancement. The thing is that this should not discourage us, this should enhance our desire, to melt our hearts to be a devotee. It is not unusual that we feel we are hard-hearted, in fact if we are conscious of that, that is a good step in the right direction.

Now we should begin to melt our heart. I explained how when Caitanya Mahāprabhu… Now within a few days Jagannātha’s snāna-yātrā will be happening, and when that snāna-yātrā happened Lord Caitanya became mad in separation for Jagannātha and His whole body became practically on fire. He ran the eleven miles to the Alarnath temple and He fell down in front of Alarnath, the Lord, Viṣṇumurti there in Orissa. He fell down, and He paid His obeisances and He fell completely unconscious right in front of the Deity in separation and His body was so intense in love for Kṛṣṇa that actually he melted right into the rock. The rock melted. That stone, the impression of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's body, full seven feet melted into the rock is still there in Alarnath, the temple of Alarnath near Jagannātha Purī. They have offered us to worship that stone if we want to. They offered us the right, one temple is doing the puja of that stone now.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, His love is so intense for Kṛṣṇa, that by associating with Caitanya Mahāprabhu, by chanting His name, by hearing and remembering His pastimes and by visiting His holy dhāma and by always feeling separation for dhāma if one is not able to stay there, that will melt even a stonelike heart. We should avoid, of course, offending Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s devotees. And we should stay in contact with Caitanya Mahāprabhu and by His contact, that can easily melt even the hardest heart. So, it is… generally those devotees who think that their heart is not hard or that they are already advanced, or they are not feeling themselves in a great need for a lot of mercy, they are in a more unfortunate situation than a devotee who is very eager for mercy, who is feeling himself to be in need of Lord Caitanya’s mercy, and who is always anxious to get it. The thing is that the secret word in that mantra is the 'eager' to get the mercy. And we should take every realization of our own inadequacies to increase our desire, to increase our desire. To intensify our hankering for Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mercy.

Question: Is it accurate that there are only two kinds of person, demon or devotee?

Jayapatākā Swami: It is not demon and devotee. It’s demon and demigod. Demon and demigod. Devatā and Asura. Sura, asura. The demigods, they are trying to enjoy their senses but they are trying to do so following the orders of Kṛṣṇa, and the demons, they’re trying to enjoy their senses but they are doing so in defiance of Kṛṣṇa. But devotees they are not even trying to enjoy their senses because they have understood that sense enjoyment is not the goal of life. They are trying to satisfy Kṛṣṇa’s senses.

So the devotees are different from the demons and from the demigods. The demons and demigods – they are always fighting with each other. But Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma – they are standing off on one side and watching. They are actually on no side.

Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu – he defeated all the demigods. Kṛṣṇa is not really concerned unless the demigods make some special appeal. But only because Hiraṇyakaśipu started to torture Prahlāda, who was His devotee, then of course the Lord will protect His devotee. But Prahlāda, when His father was killed what did he say? He said “Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, please have mercy on my father. Do not take any offense.’’ In other words, the devotees do not see the demons as enemies. It is not a competition; a devotee is simply in love with Kṛṣṇa and wants to see the good fortune for everyone.

A devotee is transcendental to demons and demigods. Just like the Americans, they think they are the demigods and the Russians are the demons and vice versa. Of course, theoretically, one can see those who are more God-fearing they are actually demigods and those who are more atheistic they are like demons. But actually neither of them are perfect. Neither of them are cent percent perfect - one is a little… better materially than the other. But a devotee is transcendental.

Question: How do you tell if a person’s a demon or a demigod?

Jayapatākā Swami: Whether the person is a demon or a demigod, a devotee wants to see them all become devotees. Just like Bali Mahārāja, he was a king of the demons. But he became a great devotee. Kṛṣṇa has devotees who are both demons and demigods. And even a demon one who is addicted to sense gratification and of envious nature, then by mercy of a devotee he also can become a devotee. So the devotee wants to see even the demons, you see, transformed.

Of course the devotees sometimes get in the mood thinking like the demigods and fighting against the demons. But actually the demigods, you see, if they find that the demons are down. Just like when they saw that Hiraṇyakaśipu was down, they immediately wanted to go and kill Prahlāda, because they thought Prahlāda… this mother of… of Hiraṇyakaśipu, that he was also another demon. So in that way there is always this type of political conquest between the demigods and the demons.

But the devotees, they don’t mind to see the demons who try to stop Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s movement, punished or harassed so that the movement can go on unimpeded. At the same time those people can themselves become devotees, they’re perfectly… that’s what they prefer much better. That means the devotee, he is not an envious person. He is always wishing the welfare of everyone. But of course, if someone who is stopping Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s movement then it is better for that person, if somehow or another his offensive activities are ended. Because the more offenses he is committing, its the more unfortunate. Just like the snake is so offensive. So even the saintly people are like to see when a snake is killed.

Comment: (Inaudible)

Jayapatākā Swami: 'yena tena prakāreṇa manaḥ kṛṣṇe niveśayet (Brs. 1.2.4)'

By any means, whatever it takes to get a person to accept Kṛṣṇa, become attracted to Kṛṣṇa. That is what Rūpa Gosvāmi recommended. First get a person attracted to Kṛṣṇa, first get him to understand to be attracted to Kṛṣṇa, to get a taste for Kṛṣṇa and then to understand that he is a servant of Kṛṣṇa. When he understands by getting a taste of Kṛṣṇa consciousness automatically one understands that he is a servant of Kṛṣṇa. And when one understands he is a servant of Kṛṣṇa then we introduce rules and regulations and so many different types of restrictions that will help that person to further advance. Before a person has accepted Kṛṣṇa or understood that he is servant of Kṛṣṇa, if you simply uh, push on rules and regulations and restrictions for that person then he will uh, he will commit some offense and will not be able to accept. So, the first thing is by any means, yena tena. Whatever works for that particular individual get him attracted to Kṛṣṇa.

When I came to India I was told some very amazing things that we could say to the Indian devotees to attract them to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Practically if you say some materialistic things they are attracted. I don’t know if I should say.

Comment: (inaudible)

Jayapatākā Swami: No, no. About management. It says one should not see the Deity too close, or see the spiritual master too close. Sometimes, even servants of Śrīla Prabhupāda were approaching Prabhupāda saying in my mind I am becoming very familiar, and Śrīla Prabhupāda would say that the disciple becoming familiar with the spiritual master that is very detrimental. And immediately, if they said that, on one or two occasions, he would change their service and sent them away. That, If one sees that himself becoming familiar, has has to take whatever means he can to.. that’s why it is difficult when one has to associate a lot with the spiritual master.

Sometimes devotees complain that, “Well, I never get to see my spiritual master and I don’t get that much association.” On the other hand, devotees who are always associating with… sometimes you see that abundance of mercy is too much for them. Because the spiritual master is always refining the devotees. And the devotees who do not have that much tolerance to be refined that intensively.

So they have to… they want… they have to learn. That can only come with maturity, one he has to know who he is in devotional platform and train the mind to act accordingly. The mind is just like a little child. The mind, you can make the mind do this or that. So with intelligence, one has to direct the mind. Just like if the mind starts thinking of sense gratification you redirect it back to Kṛṣṇa and if the mind starts to think of the spiritual master or senior Vaiṣṇavas, the Deity in some familiar or materialistic way then you have to control the mind. No. No thinking that way. “Even if a senior Vaiṣṇava he is very familiar with me that is his mercy. But actually I should have this mentality.”

If you let the mind take its own course, it will always take the wrong course because it is a materialistic mind. So by intelligence you have to direct the mind. That’s why it is said that a mind which is controlled is one’s best friend. And an uncontrolled mind is the worst enemy.

So, as soon as we let the mind control, let it go its own way, then we’ll be in trouble. And as long as you learn to keeps it with intelligence according to sādhu, śāstra and guru. Never depend on the mind. Mind will always work one down. But depend on the intelligence. Analyze what is the mind doing. And if one is careless in watching the mind and accepting whatever the mind is telling then he is in trouble. One has to be mature always as a dhīra, sober, controlling the mind with the intelligence.

Just like I remember one sannyāsi’s wife, of course he wasn’t a sannyāsi then. He was asking her just to wash his clothes and then she didn’t like to do that. She thought that there were other things that she should do. Of course they were doing a lot of preaching and at least if the wife would wash the clothes that would be something. They got all the problems and “I had to wash my own clothes on top of it. Then I might as well be a sannyāsī.” He approached Prabhupāda, he took sannyāsa all just over… over a little thing like that. So it says that if the woman, if she sees her husband as representing Kṛṣṇa, if the disciples see the spiritual master as representing Kṛṣṇa, if the citizens see their king as representing Kṛṣṇa, in that way then one is always Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Even of course if the husband is not Kṛṣṇa and may have so many defects but if the wife sees that if “I follow the instructions of the husband…” which is a very austere thing to do sometimes, unless it is a completely, you know, a crazy suggestion against the principle or something. Then by doing so that “This is my lot, this is Kṛṣṇa represent…” taking it as “This is Kṛṣṇa’s desire.” so then she is Kṛṣṇa conscious. Similarly, the disciple accepts what the spiritual master says as Kṛṣṇa’s desire then he is Kṛṣṇa conscious. But as soon as we start to make our own conceptions about what we should do and what we shouldn’t do, then we are responsible. And when we make a mistake we are finished.

Even Rāmānujācārya, he was completely detached from his family life. But he couldn’t leave his wife because she was still faithfully serving him. But he told her that if you make two mistakes in devotional service, then I’ll leave. And I forget what one of them was but I know that he told her he gave a very exquisite order what to do in serving the Deity and somehow in her woman’s simplicity she didn’t do it. She did, you know something else which appeared to be materially more suitable and as a result the Deity service was improperly done and then there was an offense committed. That and there was one other thing. Was receiving another Vaiṣṇava or something like that. And these two mistakes he left and took sannyāsa.

As long as she was serving properly, then she was responsible not he was responsible. Even though he didn’t particularly need to be in the family situation, because she was helping he felt obligated to continue engaging her in service and for supporting her in different ways. But as soon as she started to take responsibility on herself to be more intelligent than he was, even maybe she thought she was right, well, she lost Rāmānujācārya.

So, in the same way if a disciple starts to think or a… even a junior or less advanced devotee thinks oneself to be more intelligent, then he becomes responsible. So, of course if the disciple becomes independent of the guru that means he has got no shelter at all. Vaiṣṇavas may have difference of opinion. So still it is risky for a junior Vaiṣṇava because whether their interpretation of what is pleasing to Prabhupāda is more accurate or what is their older godbrothers’ interpretation is more accurate or the spiritual master. Prabhupāda whatever it may be, the idea is that of course they are not without a shelter, but it’s a question of responsibility. To understand what is the desire of the spiritual master.

So therefore it is always uh, the safe course sādhu, śāstra and guru. So whatever the guru and the śāstra says is the absolute. The sādhus or the senior Vaiṣṇava’s they are giving the interpretations or the understanding of what is and how to practically apply and what is the meaning the verdict of the guru and the śāstra. So whenever one makes a major decision it is always beneficial to discuss with the sādhus. If the spiritual master is present whatever he says, that is as good as Kṛṣṇa saying.

So in this way if one acts so that all the time he is not responsible but all the time he can directly see that “I’m just doing what the śāstra says, what the guru says and what the sādhus are saying.” then he is always safe. There is no risk.

Of course sometimes one has to take a risk to preach but if there is a way to take no risk that is the best way. Especially personally Kṛṣṇa consciousness there is no risk. We take materially risk to preach but what we should do if we don’t want to take a risk, if we do something which is not authorized by Kṛṣṇa - that risk we don’t take. But if we know that it is authorized by Kṛṣṇa then we are willing to take any other kind of risk.

To take a risk which is we don’t know if is authorized by Kṛṣṇa perfectly, we are not perfectly sure, we are just doing it on some impetuousness or strength, and we have not really discussed with other Vaiṣṇavas or cleared it with the spiritual master or do not have the direct scriptural understanding to back us up. But we’re doing it anyway, that is whimsical. That is the meaning of whimsical activity, activity which is not authorized. So if we don’t know if it is authorized that is also whimsical. We should know factually “What I am doing is correct, this is necessary for preaching and this is confirmed by sādhu, śāstra and guru.” So if we are always doing things in that way then how we can offend or how we can be in trouble? Then we don’t have to worry about it in this way we can respect the other Vaiṣṇava’s and respect the spiritual master knowing that independent of their shelter we are in a precarious situation.

Does that answer the question?

Reply: (inaudible)

Jayapatākā Swami: Is there any limit to questions? I mean, I’ve had darśanas that go up till two in the morning, but then the next day it’s rough on the saṅkīrtana.

Question: (inaudible)

Jayapatākā Swami: By not being whimsical. By not being whimsical. Purity is the force. Books are the basis. You have to always keep in line with it. That is the meaning of guru-paramparā. As soon as one does something which is not directly authorized by the guru-paramparā or just even by my own opinion is taken or if other senior Vaiṣṇava also agree with my understanding of the previous ācāryas’ desires in this regard and that is all authorized by the śāstras then in this way one stays within that flow.

But what happens if they start to speculate or they start to do things and think that they may feel that it is a good thing to do but it is not directly authorized by the scriptures or by the line of teachers, so they don’t have a strict line of teachers and the scriptures are not also so uh, how do you say? exhaustive in answering a lot of questions, so what happens is, as the world became more and more complicated and they are speculating more and more on what to do and the scriptures don’t have… they don’t have a line of disciplic succession so there are no teachers who really know how to interpret those scriptures. So you get hundreds and hundreds of different kinds of sects and subsects of opinions and you end up playing bingo in the basement of the church for a double jackpot.

That’s why we have to follow strictly the system of guru-paraṁparā, follow the instructions of previous ācāryas. Prabhupāda said, “It’s not enough only that you have a guru. It is also that you have previous ācāryas. So Prabhupāda he was not only trying to follow the instructions of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī but also Gaura-kiśora, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura and Jagannātha Dāsa Bābaji.

Of course, principally one has to follow his own spiritual master’s instructions. But beyond that one is conscious of the mood of the previous ācārya’s is and what their overall desire is. Just like if you want to draw… draw a line, you see and if you have two points of reference it’s easier draw the straight line. If you’ve just one, it tends to… You ever do that? In a notebook, you want to make lines this way, just make one, two inches, one inch across, and then you want to draw the straight line just by vision. And you get to the bottom of the page and some of em are a little bit this way and that way? So you do one measurement on the top and one at the bottom, and then you draw, and they’re all exactly in line.

So it’s not that our own spiritual master is the universe unto himself, but it’s coming in a line and we can see the overall line, and that is according to time and circumstances… of course, he is applying that and then as the times change we see the overall line so it doesn’t just go completely, just it slightly goes.

Prabhupāda, he kept the basic mood of the previous ācāryas. But each one had slightly different types of preaching, prominent in those times depending on the different stages of… of preaching. So, we will see that as Kṛṣṇa consciousness becomes more and more widespread over the world, that there will be new types of devotees and new types of māyās which will come up which have to be dealt with, with different types of preaching programs.

Just like the problem of planting the seeds, and when the seeds sprout we have the problem of watering it, and manuring it and weeding it, the problems in growing always change according to the stage and finally there’s the harvest. So the… ultimately Lord Caitanya said in every town and village throughout the whole world, His name will be spread.

So although there is a good progress made, there’s still far to go. So as the movement becomes more and more established then there’ll be… just like Prabhupāda said “I have so many plans for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I cannot reveal them all to you right now.” So Prabhupāda will be revealing through his mercy, more and more plans for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness, building off the basic plans we have now.